This is being posted extremely late as this show was held in March! Impact was an amazing showcase of collaborative work between the Royal College of Art Design Interactions department and research teams from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). All of the work was based on the interaction of science & technology with humanitarian progression. The work was all shown with display models and some working prototypes along with the statements from each team. They have an excellent website which has more information on all of this research and also about where the show is travelling. All of the text below has been quoted from the statements found in the Impact Show catalogue which was published in conjunction with the opening at the RCA.
- Phosporous Umbrella
- Urine Apron for the collection of phosphates
The above two images are from Astronomical Bodies, created by Michael Burton and Dr. Terence Kee.
“Did life on earth emerge from key chemical elements received from outer space? If so, the universe can be seen as bio-friendly and life as a natural part of the universe. If we think of ourselves as astro-biological products of galactic composition, should we continue to colonise space with life? What if we collect phospate from our urine and kidney stones, and create meteorites? These could be sent into space to seed life on other habitable planets, initiating a process of self-assembly evolution.”
- Astronomical Bodies Umbrella at the Reception
Below are images from “Cellularity” created by James King, Prof Cameron Alexander, Prof Lee Cronin, Prof Ben Davis and Dr Natalio Krasnogor.
“Is biology technology? Are we ready for industries and products based on organisms and cells? To deal with questions such as these we need a new understanding of how living and non-living things differ from one another. The Cellularity Scale is intended to be a first draft of a definition of life that is applicable in a future where we no longer ask whether omething is dead or alive, but instead, how alive it is.”
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(Below) “Pathogen Hunter” created by Susana Soares, Mikael Metthey, Prof Calum McNeil & Prof Colin Harwood.
“This design project explores how disease monitoing might change our perception of health etiquette Surveilance personnel- Pathogen Hunters- would be trained to use very particular tools to manage infectious outbreaks. But no matter how clean we are or how healthy we feel, we still carry billions of microbes on our bodies. Will we change our behavior to prevent the spread of pathogens to others? What will the consequences be for our social conventions?
Pathogen Hunters
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(Below) “Fabulous Fabbers” Created by David Benque, Prof Marc Desmulliez & David Topham.
“Factories are moving away from the fringes and coming to town! Advances in micro-scale engineering point to a global-scale revolution where local, disposable factories produce high-tech good on out very doorstep. What form might this new way of ‘making things’ take within out urban landscape? from garage- workshops to circus-like structures, form street vendor stalls to vagabond encampment, these new factories could also bring back ownership of the tools of production.”
Fabulous Fabbers
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Below is the 5th Dimensional Camera, designed by Anab Jain, Jon Ardern, Prof John Rarity, Prof Andrew Briggs & Dr Simon Benjamin
“To explore the impact this mind- blowing science could have on our sense of place and purpose in the universe, ‘The 5th Dimensional Camera’ is a fictional device that captures glimpses of parallel universes suggested by quantum physics. How might we seek to interact with these other worlds? Would we become jealous of our parallel selves? What would happen to out sense of morality if we knew that we had committed inconceivable acts in another world?”
The 5th Dimensional Camera
“Phantom Recorder” designed by Revital Cohen, Prof James Fawcett, Dr Richard Eva & Dr Stephanie P. Lacour.
“When a limb is lost, the mind often develops a phantom sensation. The phantom owner is suddenly endowed with a unique and personal appendage, invisible to others and sometimes capable of extraordinary hyperabilities. As strategies for repair ficus on practical solutions, they ten to overlook poetic functions of the body, but what if one could record and keep one’s phantom sensation, to be awoken on request?”
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“Synthetic Immune System” designed by Tuur Van Balen, Prof Richard Kitney, Prof Paul Freemont & James Chappell
“Synthetic biology’s potential to make healthcare more personal and participatory cold allow us to become out own doctors and pharamcists; constantly monitering and tweaking our body. It might even allow us to externalise our immune system by outsourcing metabolic processes to external micro-organisms. Such a synthetic immune system would be tailored to one’s genetic predisposition, age, lifestyle and anxieties.”
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“Happy Life” designed by James Auger, Prof Reyer Zwiggelaar, Dr Richard M. Turley & Dr Bashar Al-Rjoub.
“In the context of national security, invasive technology is accepted becaus the worst-case scenario would be infinitely worse. These technologies though often filter into everyday life where their application has a far more questionable presence. What would it mean to introduce such technology into the family home; when an electronic device can know more about your partner’s state than you do? Or can predict an incoming bout of misery through statistical analysis of accumulated data.”
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“Unknown Unknowns” is a project by Onkar Kular, Prof Denis Smith & Dr Moira Fischbacher. This was a beautiful project ( my favorite from the show).
“Unknown unkowns is a multimedia reasearch library for an imaginary film. The film revolves around the worst-case scenario of a mid air collision over Wembley Stadium on FA Cup Final day. The library consists of texts for auditions, location analysis and stunt coordination, as well as computer simulation of fights, supporting photographic studies and objects. The library provides a platform to probe key themes and techniques that characterise the complex nature of crisis management and risk analysis.”
Unknown Unknowns
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